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More Than a Sports Event: Why the Gratitude Games Matters to Ericsson
Every day, emergency responders face situations most of us never will. Discover how the Gratitude Games is helping support their wellbeing—and why Ericsson is proud to stand behind this national initiative.
2026 will see the inaugural year of the Gratitude Games. This national, annual multi-sport event has been established to recognise, support and celebrate the UK’s Emergency Responders and NHS professionals. The Games bring together serving and retired personnel, alongside their families, from 17 emergency services, including police, fire, ambulance, NHS, coastguard and specialist rescue organisations.
The Games combines elite competitive sport with inclusive, family‑friendly public events to raise funds for emergency services mental health charities. The aim is to deliver a clear and meaningful expression of thanks to those who serve our communities.
The Gratitude Games delivers clear social value by directly addressing the mental health and wellbeing challenges faced by emergency responders, who are exposed to significantly higher levels of traumatic incidents throughout their careers.
This sporting celebration aims to:
- Drive physical activity through inclusive events for all abilities
- Build strong peer connections, camaraderie and shared resilience
- Directly support mental health charities for emergency services
- Normalise open, positive conversations around mental wellbeing
- Elevate national awareness and public recognition of emergency responders
Strong civic backing comes from Manchester City Council, the nine other Greater Manchester local authorities (Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan), and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority; combined with a scalable national platform, this ensures the Gratitude Games delivers both immediate benefit and long‑term legacy.
Ericsson’s sponsorship reflects a strong alignment with its values and its commitment to purpose-led partnerships. Emergency services rely on resilient, secure and reliable connectivity to operate effectively in critical situations, making this a vocational community that Ericsson actively supports and understands. By sponsoring the Gratitude Games, Ericsson is giving back to a profession central to public safety, while reinforcing its role as a trusted partner to emergency services and the NHS through authentic, high-impact engagement.